Developing mental health services… training health personnel on quality and accreditation standards

Egypt is paying increasing attention to developing the public health system, based on the fact that human health represents a major basis for building society and supporting development paths. In this context, mental health is of particular importance, because it has a direct impact on the quality of life of citizens and their ability to participate effectively in various aspects of social and economic life.

Efforts to develop mental health require the provision of safe, high-quality treatment services, based on respect for patients’ rights and dignity, and responsive to their needs, while enhancing the efficiency of medical and administrative staff and preparing health facilities to provide integrated care.

Hence, the importance of training, qualification, and spreading a culture of quality emerges As essential elements for improving psychological services and improving their results.

Training of cadres of the Mental Health Secretariat

As part of these efforts to support the development of mental health services and raise the readiness of its facilities to implement the quality standards issued by the General Authority for Health Accreditation and Control (GAHAR) and internationally accredited by “ESCWA”, the Authority, through its training center, organized a package of training programs targeting the staff of the General Secretariat of Mental Health At the Ministry of Health and Population and its affiliated hospitals in various governorates.

This comes as part of a comprehensive training plan to enhance the capabilities of workers to apply the accreditation standards for mental health hospitals and centers issued by GAHAR, and to consolidate the concepts of patient safety and care centered around their needs and rights.

Dr. Ahmed Taha, Chairman of the General Authority for Health Accreditation and Control, confirmed that the state pays great attention to developing mental health services, which comes within the framework of the general direction to strengthen the health care system, considering mental health as one of the basic components of human health and quality of life, and one of the important axes in the National Health Strategy 2024-2030.

This is linked to the third goal of the Sustainable Development Goals which calls for promoting good health and well-being, by improving the quality of mental health services and enhancing patient safety.

Transforming standards into actual practices

There is no doubt that applying the quality and accreditation standards issued by “Jahar” requires qualified personnel capable of transforming the standards into actual practices within health facilities, in a way that enhances safety. Patients, preserves their rights, dignity and privacy, and improves the quality of care provided to them.

Covering all aspects of service provision

The Chairman of the Authority also explained that the “GAHAR” standards for accrediting mental health hospitals and centers address various aspects of service provision, through an integrated system that combines the requirements of patient-centered care with facility safety standards and the efficiency of its management, to provide a safe environment for patients and workers, and supports continuity and integration of care.

Dr. Ahmed Taha praised the existing cooperation between the General Authority for Health Accreditation and Control and the General Secretariat of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health and Population, headed by Dr. Ayman Abbas, stressing the importance of coordination between the two sides to qualify cadres and raise the readiness of facilities to apply accreditation standards, according to a unified methodology. Supports the dissemination of a culture of quality and continuous improvement in mental health services.

Targeting approximately 600 trainees

The “Jahar” Training Center has implemented five training programs, as part of the plan submitted to the General Secretariat of Mental Health of the Treatment Sector of the Ministry of Health and Population, targeting about 600 trainees from employees of the Secretariat and its affiliated hospitals.

The programs addressed the requirements and standards for accrediting mental health hospitals issued by the Authority, starting with national safety requirements and establishing a culture of patient-centered care, including preserving patients’ rights, dignity and privacy, empowering them and involving their families and caregivers in the treatment process, all the way to ensuring easy access to services and their continuity and the safe transfer of patients between levels of care.

This is related The fourth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals related to providing quality education, by supporting continuous learning and developing the professional skills of health personnel.

The training topics included:

• Requirements for assessment and effective care delivery
• Early detection and prevention of patients
• Medication management and ensuring its safety
• Coordinating care according to each patient.

The training extended to standards related to facility safety and the work environment, including:

• Hazardous Materials and Waste Management
• Safety and security requirements
• Violence prevention
• Preparedness For emergency
• Infection control and prevention of its spread

Developing mental health services in the governorates

The training programs included cadres from 16 hospitals and mental health centers distributed across various governorates of the Republic, which enhances the opportunities for disseminating quality standards and accreditation on a large scale, and supports the unification of professional practices within health facilities.

The programs were implemented by certified trainers, with a focus on linking standards requirements to practical application, which helps participants understand implementation mechanisms, identify opportunities for improvement, and transform accreditation requirements into clear work procedures and systems that can be followed up and their results measured.

The General Authority for Health Accreditation and Supervision ( GAHAR) confirms the continuation of its efforts to support health facilities Psychological care is provided with the technical knowledge and training necessary to apply quality and patient safety standards, based on the fact that the quality of psychological care is linked to providing safe treatment, respecting patients’ rights and dignity, and ensuring continuity of care according to clear, applicable and evaluable standards.

In conclusion, the efforts made to qualify mental health personnel to apply quality and accreditation standards highlight the importance of transforming the standards into daily practices that guarantee the safety of patients, preserve their rights and dignity, and raise the efficiency of the care provided to them. Measuring the impact of training in improving the quality of services and enhancing patient safety remains an essential criterion for the success of these efforts and the sustainability of their results.

In turn, The Earth Guards Foundation appreciates the development of mental health services; As it considers it an inherent aspect of sustainable development; Because human building is not complete by providing health services alone, but requires ensuring its quality and ability to respond to his needs and safeguard his rights.

The Foundation confirms that investing in the qualification of health personnel, applying accreditation standards, and strengthening oversight of the quality of performance constitutes an integrated path to supporting the right to health care, consolidating the principles of justice in providing services, and building a more efficient, humane, and sustainable health system, in which the patient is the center and goal of care.